A Moratorium on The Death Penalty Should Be Enacted In Illinois

Due to the recent releases of newly exonerated Death Row inmates,

individuals and organizations are calling for a moratorium- a cooling off

period for state executions. The cases of just a few inmates makes it

apparent that this would be a necessary step to save innocent lives.

After 17 years in prison, Illinois Death Row inmate Anthony Porter was

released from jail after a judge threw out his murder conviction following

the introduction of new evidence. This reversal of fortune came just two

days before Porter was to be executed. As reported in USA Today, Porter's

release was the result of investigative research as conducted by a

Northwestern University professor and students. The evidence gathered

suggested that Porter had been wrongly convicted.

Were these new revelations and the subsequent release of Porter a lucky

break or a freak occurrence? Not likely, reports DeWayne Wickham, also of

USA Today. He points out that since the reinstatement of the death penalty

in the United States in 1976, of those sentenced to death, 490 peop

having stated that "the possibility of perjured testimony...mistaken testimony

of life in prison totals only $750,000. Clearly, state executions are not

on the part of witnesses to see the crime solved. This susceptibility may

According to the National Institute of Justice, prior to the advent of DNA

Many individuals in defense of the death penalty give the argument that a

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Approximate Word count = 3284
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)